Malt-turner.



PATENTED OUT. 6, 19.03

J. MUELLER;

MALT TURNER.

APPLIGATIOH FILED DEG. 10.1902.

I0 EODEL.

I ,INVENTOR.

1 Jafir ATTORNEY UNITED STATES.

Patented October 6, 1903.

EEicE.

PATENT MALT-TU RN ER.

SI EGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,770, dated October 6, 1903. Application filed December 10, 1902. Serial No. 134,702 (N 0 model.)

[[0 all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN MUELLER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Georgetown, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Malt- Turners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices known as malt-turners,, and has special reference to a mechanically-operative device of this class.

Among numerous objects attained by this invention and readily understood from the following specification and accompanying drawings,included as a part thereof,is the production of a simple and inexpensive maltturning device embodying essential features of utility and general eficiency, which greatly facilitates the turning of malt as required during the flooring thereof and turns the malt in a manner which greatly improves the brew. The above-mentioned and numerous other objects equally as desirable are obtained by the constructions, combinations, and arrangementsof parts as disclosed on the drawings, set forth in this specification, andsuccinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

With reference to the drawings filed herewith and bearing like reference characters for corresponding parts throughout, Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of my improved malt-turner,taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2, viewed as the arrows fly and indicated with portions of the device broken out. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the device, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and viewed as the arrows indicate. Fig. 3 is a view in'transverse sec tion of one of the double blades of the'rotary lifter, on large scale, and indicates by broken lines radiating from the spindle the relative positions of the other blades when, a number are mounted on a single axis. Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a portion of one end of one of the double blades of the lifter with the casing of one of the springs on which the tip of the blade is mounted indicated in section; and Fig. 5 is a view inlongitudinal section of one of said spring-casings, on large scale, with a portion of the tip and spindle of the lifter in relative position.

This device is adapted to operate along a fioor or the like, as 10, on which malt is spread, and it is intended to perform mechanically the labor known as turning the malt.

The invention includes a rotary lifter 12, which is operably mounted on a suit-able carriage, as 14:, adapted to carry the lifter across the malt-floor, as 10, and thereby bring it to act upon the malt. This lifter preferably comprises a horizontally-disposed spindle, as 11, which is rotatably mounted in carriage 14, and laterally-projecting blades 15, secured to the spindle and rendered ofsuitable width of face, measured radially to the spindle, to cause the outer edges or tips of the blade to just touch the floor as the lifter is rotated.

The carriage 14 may be of any suitable or preferred construction adapted to rotatably support the lifter; but as now considered it consists of oppositely-disposed side pieces 16, secured together at the required separation to receive the lifter therebetween by suitable strut-rods or the like, as 18. To these side pieces of the carriage depending brackets 19 are fastened, and they are each formed with a suitable bearing at the lower end to receive one end of the spindle of the lifter, which is thereby rotatably mounted in the carriage.

Reference character 19' indicates suitable horizontally-disposed rails on which carriage 14 is mounted, so that it can be readily passed back and forth across the malt-floor, and these rails are suitably mounted with the treads parallel to said floor and at the required elevation to cause the tips of the blades of the lifter to sweep the door as the carriage is propelled and the lifter simultaneously rotated. These rails as now considered are secured to suitable brackets or the like, which are fastened to side walls, as 20, disposed along the malt fioor 10 at the same separation as. the side piecesjofflcarriage 14, and the carriage is operably mounted on these rails by suitable rollers or the like, as 21, which as new considered consist of the end portions of suitable shafts 21', disposed across carriage 14: and journaled in the side pieces thereof and rendered of suitable length toproject beyond said side pieces and engage the rails 19, whereby the carriage is movably mounted thereon.

In the present embodiment carriage 14 and the lifter are simultaneously operated by means of a suitable endless belt, as 22, which consists of a section of sprocket-chain of ordinary construction. This belt is of suitable length to reach when doubled from one end of the line of travel of the carriage to the other and is mounted on sprocket-wheels 23, fixedly mounted on respective drive-shafts 24, conveniently journaled at the ends of said line in any suitable manner, as in bracketstands 25, and operated by suitable cranks, as 26, attached to said shaft. The upper run of this belt is supported on a suitable idler 27, mounted on the carriage by means of a suitable shaft 28, on which it is fixed, and stands 30, secured to the side piece of the carriage and having suitable journals for said shaft, and the lower run of the belt is passed over carrier-sprockets, as 31, which are fixedly mounted on the shafts 21, and passed beneath a drive-sprocket 32, fixedly mounted on the spindle of the lifter. Thus the carriage can be made to travel in either direction and the lifter simultaneously driven to rotation by operating either or both of the drive-shafts 24.

As now considered the blades of the lifter are rendered of oppositely-disposed rectangular sections of suitable plate metal, as 32, each of which is bent outwardly at a slight curve along the side edges to form suitable lips, as 33, which are thus embodied with the lifter to better adapt it for raising and turning the malt. These sections of plates are rendered of suitable size to form oppositely-disposed blades of any desired width and length, and they are set at opposite sides of the spindle in opposing relations and secured in position by clamping-bolts, as 35, passed through suitable apertures in the plates and spindles, and sections of sheet-rubber or the like are placed between the lips of the sections to form flexible tips, as 36, along the blades. In the present instance these tips are mounted on suit;- able springs 37, which serve to yieldingly support the same in position, and thereby allow the tip to rise and fall in the blade in conformity with irregularities in the floor as the lifter sweeps thereover. These springs are mounted at each end of the tip and are confined in suitable respective casings as 38, which are secured in radial position on the spindle of the lifter, and the respective tip is secured to a suitable longitudinally-disposed bar, as 39, having a laterally-projecting stem at each end, which is disposed in a respective casing and has laterally-projecting ears 4L0 thereon, which compress the spring and are engaged in slots 41, arranged in the wall of the casing adjacent the outer end.

When a device of this nature is constructed with a lifter of considerable length, a multiplicity of oppositely-disposed blades are employed, and these blades are arranged along the spindle so as to lie at angle to each other,

as viewed from the end of the spindle, Fig. 3, and thus render the lifter easier of operation as the tips are thus brought to sweep the floor successively.

In operating this device the lifter is rotated in a direction which causes the tips of the blades to pass across the floor in the same direction that the carriage is traveling, (see arrows a and b in Fig. 1,) and thereby cause them to lift the malt in front of the carriage and turn it over the spindle of the lifter and throw it to the rear of the carriage. This action of the lifter avoids bruising or crushing the malt and insures separation of the grains for the more perfect escape of .the gases during the lifting and turning of the malt, the flexible lips on the blades serving to sweep the grain forward with reference to the direction of travel of the carriage, and thereby insuring action of the lifter on each and every grain to lift and turn it. In the present instance the carriage and lifter are driven simultaneously in the proper relative direction by the belt 22, which is arranged to drive the rollers of the carriage and the spindle of the lifter, as heretofore set forth.

To operate the device, it is simply necessary to revolve the drive-shafts 24, when the carriage will be caused to travel and the lifter simultaneously rotated by action of the link .belt, and after the lifter has been passed across the floor in one direction the driveshafts can be reversed to reverse the actio of the carriage and lifter.

This device is simple of construction, has few parts likely to get out of order, and in operation acts to turn the wait in a most thorough and scientific manner, which greatly improves the brew. The general form of the carriage for the lifter can be variously modified and the means for driving same and for driving the lifter can be changed without departing from the essence of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates of America, is-

1. In a malt-turning apparatus; a rotatable spindle, a lateral] y-proj ectin g blade composed of separated sections of plate metal secured to said spindle in opposing positions, a tip between said sections composed of flexible material, and means to yieldingly support said tip against inward movement.

2. In amalt-turning apparatus, arotatable spindle, blades thereon, a tip composed of flexible material arranged therebetween and capable of lateral movement within said blades, substantially right-angular stems secured to said tip, radially-disposed casings mounted on said spindle, said right-angular stems being spring-pressed and secured in said casings, substantially as described.

3. In a malt-turning apparatus, a carriage adapted for travel across a malt-floor, oppositely-disposed shafts rotatably mounted on the carriage and a sprocket-Wheel on each of of same, radially-extending casings for the reception of said stems, and springs arranged in said casings for outwardly pressing said stems; a sprocket-wheel fixed to the spindle of said turner, and an endless link belt passing about the sprocket on said drive-shaft, I5 over the sprockets on said oppositely-disposed shafts, beneath ,the sprocket on said spindle, and over said sprocket-wheel on said stand, substantially as described.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 29th 2o day of October, 1902.

JOHN MUELLER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST B. HERALD, FRANK E. ADAMS. 

